Inspector General Report: Hallandale Beach Mayor, Commissioners Repeatedly Violated Sunshine Law
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Hallandale Beach government continues to stun even those numbed by the repeated and varied allegations of corruption and incompetence in City Hall.
The latest:
Hallandale Beach Mayor Joy Cooper and former City Commissioners Bill Julian and Anthony Sanders repeatedly violated the Sunshine Law and keep public documents secret, according to a Broward Office of the Inspector General report released this week.
Joy Cooper
The report has been referred to State Attorney Mike Satz for further action.
The latest investigation involves The Future Foundation Inc., a non-profit charitable organization created, led and administered by city officials and staff on city property. The organization was formed in 1996 and has been largely dormant for seven years. It held its last meeting when a vote was taken to dissolve 13 months ago.
The Inspector General’s report states:
“Our investigation determined that, indeed, city officials committed misconduct by not conducting public business in open meetings and by not providing the foundation’s public records upon request.
“Even though the Future Foundation’s relationship with the city subjected it to the state’s open meetings (Sunshine) law, foundation president and city mayor Joy Cooper and foundation directors and former city commissioners Bill Julian and Anthony Sanders participated in foundation board meetings that were never noticed to the public. Specifically, we found that during their most recent period of uninterrupted service, Mayor Cooper attended at least 26 of these meetings, former commissioner Julian attended at least two, and former commissioner Sanders attended at least two. In addition, Mayor Cooper led the foundation as president during the time when at least 14 board meetings were held but no minutes were taken….”
The foundation received at least least $174,217.58 from the city, but the exact amount could not be determined by investigators because “neither the city nor the foundation could produce a complete set of Future Foundation records spanning the foundation’s entire existence,” the report states.
Other foundation money came from “private developers who sought city construction projects….”
“The violations identified within this report illustrate the importance of government transparency, government accountability, and public participation in government decisions, as we reasoned that city officials, wearing the hat of foundation board members, made at least $239,693.11 in expenditures outside the public’s view and reach.
“In light of Mayor Cooper’s and former commissioners Julian and Sanders’s violations of Florida’s open government laws, in accordance with our charter mandate, we are referring this matter to the Broward State Attorney’s Office for whatever action it deems appropriate,” the report states.
Cooper is already awaiting trial on charges of money laundering, official misconduct, exceeding the limit on campaign finance contributions, and soliciting contributions in a public building.
Sanders resigned last year after an earlier Inspector General’s report alleging him with misconduct by using his position to direct nearly $1 million to a nonprofit that paid his church and family.
Julian, who was cleared in an investigation six months ago of bribery by a developer, lost an election to return to the commission last month.
April 12th, 2018 at 3:08 pm
Where’s the findings on Broward Health sunshine violations?
April 12th, 2018 at 3:14 pm
Mike Satz: Make this go away.
Timmy Donnelly: Okay Boss the close out memo is scheduled for 2042 that should be your last year in office.
April 12th, 2018 at 4:54 pm
Hallandale Beach is a cesspool
April 12th, 2018 at 5:53 pm
I’m giving 5 to 1 Coopet rolls on Stern. Stern was heavily involved with Satz last two opponents. Give Joy the Chait deal and hope Big Tim doesn’t screw up with Stern.
April 12th, 2018 at 7:10 pm
Did Hallandale Beach learn from Dania Beach or did Dania Beach learn from Hallandale Beach???
April 17th, 2018 at 9:08 pm
Hey Bill’;
Remember when you recently told me, “Oh, you’re gonna make sure my day will come” … or some other drivel like that?
Well, Boyo, might wanna push back my comeuppance.
However, if you want to meet in the meantime, pick a spot and we’ll work this out man to scummy politician who can’t seem to not keep his sullied name out of the press.